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Hondo Woman Cancer-Free, Credits Clinical Trial for Survival

Publication: Spectrum News San Antonio

SAN ANTONIO – Kelly Moughan credits an injury from her embroidery machine in 2016 for an early diagnosis of triple negative breast cancer.

What You Need To Know

  • Kelly Moughan was diagnosed in 2016 with triple negative breast cancer.
  • Triple negative breast cancer is an aggressive form of the disease that has a high relapse rate.
  • She was part of a nationwide trial of an immunotherapy regimen for triple negative patients.
  • The San Antonio portion of the trial was led by Dr. Sharon Wilks.

“I put a needle through my finger and had to go to the doctor, and had to get a stitch in there," she said.  "A couple of weeks later I had, I thought I had an infection in my chest, but it ended up being breast cancer.”

Moughan has lived her whole life in Hondo, Texas.  She appreciates small town life, and the tight-knit bond that comes with it. The diagnosis changed everything, and not just for her.

"It was hard, and not just because my life stopped that day, or took a detour. Everybody else’s life in the family took a detour too," Moughan said.

Triple negative breast cancer is an aggressive form of the disease that has a high relapse rate. The reason for recurrence centers around the ability to treat it. Unlike other cancers, it offers no real markers where treatment can be targeted.

“They immediately told me to stay off of Google, and I did. I didn’t really want to know about it. I kind of just trusted my doctors. I trusted what they were telling me," she said.

Shortly after the diagnosis, Moughan was referred to Dr. Sharon Wilks.

“If I had a daughter, my mother, I would drag you over there. This is, you need to go see her.  Well god, you put it that way I guess I have to go see her," Moughan said.

Wilks is based out of San Antonio at Texas Oncology, and was leading the San Antonio portion of a nationwide trial of an immunotherapy regimen for triple negative patients at the time of Moughan’s diagnosis. Moughan turned out to be a perfect candidate.

“Kelly stands out like many individuals because she also carries a genetic mutation. So, those individuals, we already have to think about not only the cancer they’re presented with, but future cancers as well," said Wilks.

The immunotherapy treatment has now been approved by the FDA as part of a combination treatment for certain triple negative patients. The development has worldwide implications.

“Now, we very much try to make sure these are going to be very effective treatments, but absolutely, what we have wasn't beating cancer well enough so let’s see if we can do it in a different way, and this one worked. This one worked very well," Wilks said.

Overall, Moughan’s role was small, but the trial gave her a second chance at life, and she’s not going to let it go to waste.

“I think it saved my life for sure," Moughan said. “Grandkids are coming, and kids are getting married, and yeah, it’s a pretty exciting time," she said.

 

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